Dispenza



Feb. 21, 1956 c. DQSPENZA 2,735,293

RECORDING RAIN GAUGE Filed D80- 22, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2% 2 27 25 FIE- 6 INVENTOR 6 79 C'MWPzEj D1 jPNZ4 BY Md ATTORNEYS Feb. 21, 1956 c. DISPENZA 2,735,293

RECORDING RAIN GAUGE Filed Dec. 22, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG- 2.

INVENTOR Car/fla 0151 2424 ATTO R N EYS United States Patent RECORDING RAIN GAUGE Charles Dispenza, Maplewood, N. J.

Application December 22, 1953, Serial No. 393,671

6 Claims. (Cl. 73-171) This invention relates to a recording rain gauge.

An object of the invention is to provide a gauge by means of which an accurate determination of the rainfall can be obtained for any period of time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gauge which automatically records the rainfall for visual inspection in relation to the quantity of rainfall and period of time.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a recording precipitation gauge in which the stylus for making a marking on a recording cylinder is carried by reciprocatory means which counterbalances a float movable upwardly with the collection of rainfall in a collecting tank whereby the gauge is rendered sensitive and accurate.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of means by which the stylus is automatically moved toward the recording drum with the collection of rainfall and away from the recording drum when the rainfall is siphoned from the collecting tank.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of siphoning means for automatically emptying the collecting tank when the rainfall reaches a predetermined level therein.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of an open top receptacle for collecting rainfall and which is mounted for rotation and provided with a vane for directing the same into the wind.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, reference is now made to the following spectification and accompanying drawings in which the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a recording rain gauge constructed in accordance with the invention and with the housing supporting the same shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken approximately on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view showing the mounting for the open top receptacle.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on line 66 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the recording rain gauge includes a housing 10 in which is arranged a collecting tank 11 and a recording drum 12 mounted on a vertical shaft 13 constituting the driving shaft of a motor 14. The motor 14 may be of any de sired construction for turning the drum 12 in a clockwise direction as viewed from the top.

The tank 11 is disposed in parallel relation with the axis through the shaft 13 and the tank and motor are aflixed to a base 15 which is adapted to be inserted in the housing 10 and removed therefrom as desired. For this purpose, the side wall 16 is hinged to the housing on the hinges 17 and a latch 18 is provided for securing the wall 16 in closed relation. The base is adapted to be disposed 2,735,298 Patented Feb. 21, 1956 on the bottom wall 19 so as to position the gauge for collecting rainfall in the tank 11 which is caught in an open top receptacle 21 and conveyed to the tank through aligned pipes 22 and 23.

The open top receptacle 21 is afiixed to a frame 24 which is ro-tatably mounted on the pipe 22 by bearings 25, the pipe 22 being aflixed to the top wall 26 of the housing with the funnel-shaped end 27 thereof located directly below the bottom outlet in the open top receptacle 21. A vane 28 is afiixed to the frame 24 for directing the open top receptacle into the wind. The pipe 22 extends into the funnel-shaped upper end 29 of the pipe 23 which latter pipe is affixed to and extends into the tank 11 at one side thereof, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

In order to gauge the rainfall admitted into the tank 11a from the open top receptacle 21, a float 30 is provided which is affixed to a vertically disposed stem 31. The stem 31 has a rack 32afiixed thereto which extends longitudinally thereof and is disposed in engagement at all times with a gear 33 mounted on a cross shaft 34 which is journaled for rotation at its opposite ends in anti-friction bearings 35, one of the bearings being mounted in an opening in a vertically disposed plate 36 and the other bearing being mounted in an opening in an angle bracket 37 aflixed to the plate 36 at one side thereof. The plate 36 is mounted in oppositely arranged vertically disposed slots 38 and 39 in the upper portion of the tank 11 and is welded or otherwise secured thereto. The stem 31 is guidedly mounted for reciprocatory movement between pairs of upper and lower rollers 41 and 42 which are journaled for rotation in anti-friction bearings mounted in openings in a bracket 43 afiixed by screws 44 or other equivalent fastening means to the plate 36. Upper and lower rollers 46 and 47 are also provided which are journaled for rotation in anti-friction bearings mounted in openings in the plate 36 so as to dispose the rollers 46 and 47 in engagement with the stem 31 at the rear of the rack 32 so as to maintain the rack in engagement with the gear 33.

A rack 50 is disposed in engagement with the gear 33 on the side thereof opposite the rack 32. The rack 50 is mounted for reciprocatory movement between pairs of upper and lower rollers 51 and 52 which are journaled for rotation in anti-friction bearings mounted in openings in a bracket 53 afiixed by screws 54 or equivalent fastening means to the plate 36 so as to dispose the rollers of each pair on opposite sides of the rack 50 for guided reciprocatory movement therebetween. Upper and lower rollers 55 and 56 are also provided which are journaled for rotation in anti-friction bearings mounted in openings in the plate 36 so as to dispose the rollers 55 and 56 in engagement with the rack 50 at the rear thereof so as to maintain the rack in engagement with the gear 33. A stylus 58 is mounted on the lower end of the rack 50 for movement therewith and which is adapted to engage a recording sheet 59 mounted on the recording drum 12 for producing a line thereon with the upper movement of the float 30 and the rotation of the drum. The recording sheet 59 may he graduated in any desired units of time by lines 60 extending vertically thereof and in units of rainfall by circumferential lines 61 extending about the sheet. The line produced thereon by the stylus 58 will provide a graphic indication of the amount of rainfall in relation to any period of time.

The gauge is made for continuous operation and for this purpose, a siphon tube 64 is provided which extends through an opening 65 in the wall of the tank 11 Wit the inner end of the tube disposed adjacent the bottom of the tank. This end of the tube is preferably formed with a restricted inlet opening and the lower end of the tube protrudes through an opening 66 in the bottom wall 19 of the housing with the open discharge end of the tube disposed below the housing. This provides means by which the rainfall collected in the tank 11 will automatically be siphoned from the tank when the same has reached a depth approximately on a level with the opening 65. The float 30 will descend with the discharge of rainfall from the tank which will raise the rack 50 and the stylus 58 tothereby produce a substantially vertical line on the recording sheet 59. The lower end of this line would indicate the amount of rainfall during the time period elapsed from the beginning of the marking on the recording sheet.

The open top receptacle is formed with vertical end walls 68 and 69 and opposite side wall portions 70 and 71 which are disposed on a substantially 45 angle to the horizontal, whereby these side wall portions slope substantially parallel with the direction of the rainfall which generally falls in angular relation to the horizontal, it being understood that the vane 28 directs the open top receptacle to dispose the wall portions 73 and '71 into the wind. The top opening in said receptacle is preferably of a cross-sectional area twice that of the cross-sectional area of the tank 11.

The stylus 58 is affixed to the lower end of a bowed spring 73 which is attached at its upper end to the rear of the rack 50. A bracket 74 affixed to the tank 11 is provided with a forward arm 75 which extends laterally over the spring 73 so as to eifect inward contraction of the spring when the stylus is moved by the rack 50 upwardly above the upper edge of the recording sheet 59. On the upward movement of the float from the bottom of the tank 11, the stylus will be moved into engagement with the sheet with downward movement of the rack 50 from its uppermost position.

It will be understood that the rack t together with the stylus 5S counterbalances the rack 32 and since the said racks move between rollers mounted on anti-friction bearings, the recording gauge is sensitive and the float 30 requires very little effort in the upward movement thereof to effect downward movement of the rack 50 and stylus 58.

While the preferred form of the invention is illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that the invention is not so limited but shall cover and include any and all modifications of the invention which fall within the scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a recording rain gauge, an open top receptacle for collecting rainfall, a tank disposed below said open top receptacle, piping arranged in communication between said open top receptacle and said tank for conveying the rainfall collected in the open top receptacle to and discharging the same in the tank, a motor driven recording drum, means mounting said recording drum in fixed parallel relation with said tank, a float having an upwardly disposed stem arranged in said tank, a rack affixed to said stem, a rack disposed in spaced parallel relation with reference to said first mentioned rack, a stylus affixed to said last mentioned rack, a gear mounted for rotation between said racks said gear having a toothed periphery, and means guidedly mounting said racks in engagement with the toothed periphery of said gear on opposite sides thereof for downward movement of said second mentioned rack and said stylus responsive to the upward movement of the first mentioned rack by the rising of the float in the tank with the collection of rain fall therein, said second rack with the attached stylus being of a weight to counterbalance the weight of the first rack, whereby a sensitive response is obtained by the stylus in accordance with the movement of the float.

2. In a recording rain gauge, an open top receptacle for collecting rainfall, a tank disposed below said open top receptacle, piping arranged in communication between said open top receptacle and said tank for conveying the rainfall collected in the open top receptacle to and discharging the same in the tank, a motor driven recording drum, means mounting said recording drum in fixed parallel relation with said tank, a fioat having an upwardly disposed stern arranged in said tank, a rack affixed to said stem, a rack disposed in spaced parallel relation with reference to said first mentioned rack, a stylus afiixed to the lower end of said last mentioned rack, a gear mounted for rotation between said racks, said gear having a toothed periphery means guidedly mounting said racks in engagement with the toothed periphery of said gear on opposite sides thereof for downward movement of said second mentioned rack and said stylus responsive to the upward movement of the first mentioned rack by the rising of the float in the tank with the collection of rainfall therein, a support for said open top receptacle mounted on said piping for pivotal turning movement, a vane carried by said support for directing said receptacle into the wind, and said receptacle having front and rear wall portions at the top thereof disposed in angular relation to the horizontal so as to slope in the direction of the rainfall when the receptacle is directed into the wind.

3. In a recording rain gauge, as set forth in claim 1, said means aifixing said stylus being resilient means, and means affixed with reference to said tank and disposed to engage said resilient means for retracting the stylus with the upward movement of the last mentioned rack when the latter rises beyond a predetermined level.

4. In a recording rain gauge apparatus, a receptacle to receive the rainfall to be measured and to pass the same into the apparatus for measurement and recording, means to rotatably journal said receptacle on said apparatus for rotation in a given plane, said receptacle having an open top defining a plane parallel with said plane of rotation, and having walls angularly directed relative to said plane, and a vane secured to said receptacle for directing the same into the wind, whereby said angularly directed walls will be disposed in the direction of the rainfall when the receptacle is so directed into the wind.

5. In a recording rain gauge apparatus as set forth in claim 4, said walls being so directed at a 45 angle relative to said plane.

6. In a recording rain gauge apparatus, a receptacle to receive the rainfall to be measured and to pass the same into the apparatus for measurement and recording, said receptacle being rotatively journalled in said apparatus and having an open top and walls angularly directed with respect to said open top, and a vane secured to said receptacle for directing the same into the wind, whereby said angularly directed walls will be disposed in the direction of the rainfall when the receptacle is so directed into the wind.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,316,906 Wait Apr. 20, 1943 2,497,759 Cappleman Feb. 14, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,464 Great Britain Nov. 14, 1863 17,473 Great Britain Oct. 31, 1890 

